


Together

by periwinklepromise



Series: WinterIron Week 2019 [13]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alcoholic Tony Stark, Established Relationship, Found Family, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Tony Stark/Alcohol is my NOTP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-24 21:43:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20021500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/periwinklepromise/pseuds/periwinklepromise
Summary: Tony makes a big decision.





	Together

**Author's Note:**

> For the WinterIron Week prompt Recovering Together. I chose to do a found family fic, because I'm a sucker for those.

Tony drinks too much.

They all know it, and they never say it.

The glasses at the bar are buckets, the bottles are bottomless, and Tony never tires, never pushes his glass away. 

They all have their ideas.

He drinks to be like his father. He drinks to forget his father. He drinks to forget the pain in his chest, to forget Steve pummeling his chest, to forget the footage of his mother dying. He drinks to have a good time, and he is _always_ in need of a good time.

When he stops drinking, they all take notice. One day, the glass really is water, not vodka. One day, he elects to have orange juice with his breakfast instead of champagne, and toasting to himself for surviving another day. One day, he is sober. And the next. And the next.

*

It is day nine. He told himself he wouldn't keep count, and then he did anyway, but it's not like he can just turn his brain off - that's what the alcohol was for!

That and a lot of things.

*

He tries to be there for Tony, but he doesn't know what he needs (yes, he does, and no, he shouldn't give it to him), and Tony doesn't want to say.

So he is relegated to popping in like a freaking cuckoo clock just to let his boyfriend knows he has support. Not that Tony said he needed any. But he wants to offer it, all the same.

Tony doesn't seem to want it. Doesn't seem to want _him_.

Bucky tries to not let this sort of thing bother him. Tony's going for something new, something that will be really good for him, and that decision will affect other things in his life. No problem. They can get through it together, like they do everything else.

But when he goes to the penthouse that night, Tony is sitting in the dark, holding an empty glass. Without better lighting, Bucky can't tell if the glass has held any liquid recently; he doesn't see any bottles nearby, but that doesn't mean much. 

“Honey?”

Tony grumbles in response. Not a good sign.

There were times, earlier in their relationship, especially when he was coming back from a mission that hadn't included Tony, when he would find Tony on this couch, holding a glass that definitely wasn't empty. Tony's breath would be heavy and sour, and he would murmur sweet, slurred things in his ear, and fall asleep like a brick a few moments later.

It worried him, of course it did, but it also warmed him. It felt like Tony just needed him near to be comfortable enough to sleep.

He sits next to Tony gingerly. “You okay?”

“Not really,” Tony admits, shoulders bowed.

If Tony wants to talk, he will. For now, Bucky just swings an arm around his shoulders and stays close.

*

It is day seventeen, and he wants to tear his own hair out. He can't think clearly enough to work, he can't stop thinking enough to sleep. He takes long baths to try to relax, but the warmth dissipates and he feels like a puppet boy pretending to be human.

*

“Sober's just another word for thirsty,” Tony tells him. “That's what they say.”

“They can go fuck themselves,” Bucky retorts, maybe a bit more vehement than he needs to be. But fuck it, not even a vague _they_ should be telling Tony this shit. “Sober's just another word for strong as hell, that's what I say.”

Tony smiles, but he looks close to crying. 

*

It is day twenty-six. He gets an infuriating itch underneath his skin. He does his best to ignore it. 

*

Bucky calls his boyfriend sweet names and kisses down his back. Massages are the only thing that can convince him to sleep for more than ten minutes at a time, so he's made it a part of their routine. 

And Bruce's herbal teas, and Pepper's pep talks. And Clint is oddly gifted at helping him into yoga asanas a few times a week. Thor offered him a sleeping brew on the side, but he told him not to offer it to Tony – they don't need to substitute one addiction for another, and Asgardian drugs scare him more than Earth ones, anyways. He's seen what that mead does to Steve.

Sam offers his professional services – apparently, he's accustomed to treating this sort of thing in veterans. Trauma does this sort of thing. He sees Tony flinch and thank him.

Steve suggests they call Carol; she's been sober for years now, and maybe she could help. But her daughter has an important event at school that she can't miss, so she says she'll swing by next week. It's still very kind of her, but Bucky worries. 

Nat lets Bucky catch her sneaking through the cupboards. She waves a bottle of scotch at him and dumps it down the drain, then tucks the emptied bottle into her bag and leaves the common kitchen with a simple nod in his direction. He returns it easily. He can't be seen doing that, can't be caught not trusting Tony, no matter how much he frets over him. Nat will do this part for him, and she will take the fall for him if she gets caught. 

But with Tony as unsteady as he is, it's doubtful he'll notice, and no one else will say anything.

*

It is day forty. He can breathe a little easier. It is still hard, but at least he can breathe.

*

Bucky massages Tony's feet, his calves, deep into the muscles of his thighs. Tony sighs and smiles and melts into sleep, easily for once.

Bucky's heart feels like it could break into a hundred sparkling drops of sun. Warm and glowing and giddy. 

When Tony wakes from this little afternoon nap, they will go to the communal living room and watch a movie or two with the team. Everyone will have fun, in one big room, as one big family. No one will drink any alcohol, not even Tony.


End file.
